According to a survey by the Co-operative Bank, Britons are keeping a whopping £41 billion in debt hidden from their partners - and women are the most likely to be secretive about their financial woes.

Nearly two thirds of those surveyed said credit card debts, overdraft and mortgage arrears were mounting up, and the average female Brit owed £22,500 compared to £14,000 owed by the male population.

While many insist on keeping their personal debt level hidden, others are keeping an altogether better secret - 13 per cent revealed they had saved more than £9,000 without their other half knowing.

It's hardly surprising that many spouses and partners remain blissfully aware of their loved ones debts and savings though, because only 27 per cent of couples aged between 25 and 34 have a joint account - the remainder preferring to keep their finances separate.

However, Christina Blacklaws, director of family law at the Co-operative Legal Services, had a warning for couples hiding their debts.

She told the Daily Express: "People may be shocked to find out that they have responsibility for their ex-partner's debts, even if they are not aware of them, or may not have any rights to assets or property which they themselves may have invested into.